Choosing the Right Mentor and the Right Academic Job

1. Choosing the Right Mentor and the Right Academic Job Digestive Diseases Week James L. Madara, MD Sara & Harold Lincoln Thompson Distinguished Service Professor& Dean Biological Sciences Division & The Pritzker School of Medicine Vice President for Medical Affairs May 18, 2005 University of Chicago

2. Finding the Right Mentor: Characteristics of Mentors • Share interests and projects1 • Chemistry • Define expectations of the mentoring relationship2 • Provide availability and accessibility2 • Recognize mentees’ independence and are generous in providing credit for their contributions2 • Remain open to mentees’ concerns about performance, collegial interactions, and the workplace environment2 1. Medical College of Wisconsin Mentor Program. Accessed at http://www.mcw.edu/display/router.asp?docid=1130, April 11, 2005. 2. UC Davis School of Medicine: Mentoring Program Guide for Selecting a Mentor and Establishing a Mentoring Relationship. Available at http://med-acaffairs.ucdavis.edu/development/Mentor_Guides.htm James L. Madara, MD

3. Finding the Right Mentor: Why a Mentor Is Needed • Navigating a new environment • Translating academic heritage (promotions, etc) • Intellectual sounding-board • Compass reference at times of confusion • A champion of your career • Protection of an investment (from an institutional/dean’s perspective) James L. Madara, MD

4. Finding the Right Mentor: How to Find the “Right” Mentor • Understand your aspiration for a mentor • Evaluate the mentors • Are they available, successful, approachable, well connected both within and outside the institution, and willing to invest time in you? • Recognize that more than one mentor may be needed • Explicitly state your role in the mentoring relationship and your recognition of the mentor’s contributions to your career development (conversation not interview) UC Davis School of Medicine: Mentoring Program Guide for Selecting a Mentor and Establishing a Mentoring Relationship. Available at http://med-acaffairs.ucdavis.edu/development/Mentor_Guides.htm James L. Madara, MD

5. Finding the Right Mentor: What the Mentor Provides • Constructive and timely feedback1 • Monitor mentees’ academic process2 • Direct mentees to appropriate channels for resolving and advancing professional issues2 • Advocate for mentees and provide professional exposure2 • Alert mentees to appropriate career opportunities in education, skills workshops, funding, etc2 • Seriously review mentees’ academic product 1. Medical College of Wisconsin Mentor Program. Accessed at http://www.mcw.edu/display/router.asp?docid=1130, April 11, 2005. 2. UC Davis School of Medicine: Mentoring Program Guide for Selecting a Mentor and Establishing a Mentoring Relationship. Available at http://med-acaffairs.ucdavis.edu/development/Mentor_Guides.htm James L. Madara, MD

6. Finding the Right Mentor: What You Owe Your Mentor • Meet regularly in a fashion which honors his/her style and schedule • Share aspirations and challenges • Aim for a professional, collegial relationship (not an emotionally needy one) • Seek continuous feedback • Be nondefensive • Take initiative James L. Madara, MD

7. Finding the Right Academic Job:Wants and Direction • What is most fulfilling to you • What are the actual cadences of such careers • Think of the 35-year period of the career but: • Recognize flexibility in our field • Identify and evaluate those who have established like careers James L. Madara, MD

8. Finding the Right Academic Job:How to Think About Risks • Many advise broad training • “Buys” insurance • However: Less focused and longer duration • Do you know what you love? • If not, try to define ASAP • If so, go with it • Principle: In biomedicine, career “insurance” may simply lower your chances of being immersed in what you love. Don’t worry that if you are not broadly trained, you will risk driving a cab—it’s not going to happen. James L. Madara, MD

9. Finding the Right Academic Job:Setting Goals • Immerse yourself (But recognize: marathon, not sprint) • Most careers are a blend of planning and the stochastic (Be attentive to opportunity) • Realistically appraise personal elements and consequences (Be proactive in taking account of such) James L. Madara, MD

10. Finding the Right Academic Job:Setting Goals (continued) • Trust instinctual senses • Search for those at the institution being considered who have like aspirations, career phenotypes (Are they successful? Are they attractive colleagues?) • Identify potential mentors James L. Madara, MD

11. Finding the Right Academic Job:Importance of the Department Chair • Does the Chair value your career type? (Attention to actions, objectivity here) • Does the Institution reflect the Chair’s values? • Has the Chair had a career phenotype like that you aspire to? • Do those of your career phenotype do well in the setting? James L. Madara, MD

12. Finding the Right Academic Job:Importance of the Department Chair (continued) James L. Madara, MD

13. Finding the Right Academic Job:Importance of the Department Chair (continued) • Is the “job description” defined? (If not, is that due to your vagueness) • The “Madara rule” (If two people are hit by a bus…) • What if leadership is turning over soon? (Risk exists, analyze institutional nature) James L. Madara, MD

14. Finding the Right Academic Job:The Package • Resources: Not just money and space (Intellectual resources often overlooked, often are the most important) • Time resources: Is there a plan to use it well and a fertile environment for such (If not, it will dissipate) • Salary: AAMC data exist • Benefits: Not the deciding factor/not to be overlooked • At-risk component: Who decides and how? • Malpractice: Is this in your P&L?Is investigation so “taxed”? • Clinical: Is there a reasonable period of protection? • Research: What are the salary recovery expectations? • Space (investigative): • Dry—more predictable • Wet—400 to 1000 sq ft • Policies of space distribution • Meaning to you • Consider Cores James L. Madara, MD

15. Finding the Right Academic Job:The Package (continued) • Nonsalary $: • Dry—computation sufficiency/variable • Wet—$300K to $1 million over 3 to 4 years (± unrecovered salary accounts partly for wide spread) • Other: Clinical versus Basic Science Departments • Access to students • Record of Postdocs • Access to training grants • Cores • PhD: • Clinical versus Basic Science Departments (Evaluate Institution, remember Madara rule) • AAMC data exist James L. Madara, MD

16. Finding the Right Academic Job:Job Search Process • First Visit: View as first date (Focus on fit, not detail) • Importance of seminar • Recognize interview/interviewee mix • Help set up day(s) • Bidirectional analysis of colleagues • Meeting the PM challenge • Follow-up • Second Visit: Now we’re serious • Try to identify the “closet” • Resources (often Chair at visit’s end) • Negotiation • Prepare overview • Know why a resource is needed • Think “business plan,” get it right the first time • Recognize your accountabilities • Ask for mentoring committee • Never exclude significant other(s) from this visit • Evaluate personal elements (housing, schools) • Other • A pre-first visit • A third visit James L. Madara, MD

17. Finding the Right Academic Job: Understanding the Future • Differences in Academic Medical Centers • When you’ve seen one, you’ve seen one • Applies to promotions • Study criteria for evaluation/promotion • Attend workshops if given • Reality test published criteria • Be pro-active • ie, Letters of support required in five years? Is there a Departmental seminar series? James L. Madara, MD

18. Finding the Right Academic Job: Understanding the Future (continued) • Other: Women and underrepresented minorities • Assure the environment is healthy; is there a venue for fellowship • Watch out for over-participation in administrative areas (What you need trumps what others need in this area; good citizenship does not require that you do more than others) • Other: Adapting to a new environment • Be flexible; when “closet” opens, expect it • Begin with benefit of doubt extended to others • Assure there is enjoyment; life is too short James L. Madara, MD

19. Summary • Academic Careers: a good choice • Success requires your input: • Not just in clinical care/research • In identifying mentoring system • In biasing toward promotion • In displaying pragmatism and practicality • Put yourself in others’ shoes: • Your Chair • Your colleagues, particularly during tense times • Your significant other James L. Madara, MD